Department of Internal Digestion of Ruijin Hospital is a key discipline of State 211 Engineering and a composite unit of key disciplines of State Education Commission, a key discipline of Shanghai Second Medical University, a medical key discipline of Shanghai—an important composite unit of gastrointestinal carcinoma.

Department of Internal Digestion was established in 1955 with strong technical strength and many talents coming out in succession. Now the Department has 10 professors (Xu Jiayu, Tang Zhenduo, Wu Yuxin, Wang Guanting, Zhu Hongyao, Jiang Shihu, Wu Yunlin, Yuan Yaozong, Zhu Qi, Zhong Jie) and 12 associate professors. There are 14 professionals who have Ph. D. or master degrees. The characteristics of the specialty are diagnosis and treatment of gastric carcinoma, treatment of acute pancreatitis, treatment of hemorrhage of esophagus and gastric varicosity by endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasonic examination, capsule endoscopy and double balloon examination of small intestine etc..

As early as in the middle of the 80’s of the last century through follow-ups of groups of high-risk people early gastric tumor was screened from pregastric pathologic change so that the diagnosis of early gastric tumor was in the lead in the country and early carcinoma made up 22% of the operations for gastric carcinoma in our Hospital. Based on it the Department also actively carries out the treatment of early gastric carcinoma by endoscopy such as EMR and takes the lead in the country in carrying out pigment dyeing and observing colonic dented structure so as to raise the early diagnostic rate of carcinoma of colon.

Our Department is in the lead in the country in respect of the diagnosis of carcinoma of small intestine. In the past due to the characteristics of the anatomic position of small intestine and the limitation of the instruments for examination the diagnosis of carcinoma of small intestine used to be a difficult point in diseases of digestive system and now with the development of new techniques and new methods there has been a tremendous breakthrough in this respect. Our Department is one of the departments of this kind at home that were the first to introduce the double balloon examination of small intestine and capsule endoscopy and also is the department that carries out the most of these two items and has the highest technical level nationwide so that patients come in a continuous stream from the four corners of the country for treatment.

Upper respiratory tract hemorrhage is a severe complication of hepatic cirrhosis and is also one of the reasons for causing death of hepatic cirrhosis. The disease is pernicious and the patients often cannot be given effective treatment in time. Led by Prof. Wu Yunlin our Department took the lead at home in carrying out and popularizing the treatment of varicosity of esophagus by endoscopy such as treatment by sclerosing agent and ligation of a leather ring etc., winning widespread praise in the country.

Our Department makes a concerted effort with Department of General Surgery, actively carrying out the comprehensive treatment of acute severe pancreatitis and significantly enhancing the survival rate of this disease with high mortality.

In respect of basic research Department of Internal Digestion undertakes multiple research items of State Natural Science Fund, Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai Science and Technology Commission and Shanghai Natural Science Fund etc. with an emphasis on experimental research of apoptosis of gastric carcinoma, drug-resistant mechanism of multiple drugs, chemical prevention, pathogenesis of acute severe pancreatitis and its comprehensive treatment. Multiple fruitful results have passed identification and won Prizes of Progress in Science and Technology of the Municipality, providing a reliable theoretical basis for clinical front-line treatment.

Department of Internal Digestion now has 50 sickbeds and 12 professional beds for endoscopic therapy and carries out over 20 therapeutic items, curing many patients of their difficult and complex diseases and enjoying very high prestige in Chinese digestion circles. Each year numerous physicians of digestion departments come to our Department for advanced studies from all corners of the country. The number of O.P.D. patients of Digestion Department of Ruijin Hospital is in the lead citywide and Endoscopy Center can now carry out all the examinations and therapies available in the world in respect of digestion endoscopy and the number of cases for gastroscopic and intestinoscopic examinations is in the lead in third-grade class A hospitals citywide and capsule endoscopy, double balloon intestinoscopy and ultrasonic endoscopy are all the more at the world’s leading level. Department of Internal Digestion honestly practices medicine and provides good services, providing specially appointed experts’ O.P.D. service (Tel. for special appointment: 021-64370045-665165), experts’ O.P.D. service and O.P.D. service for special diseases and enthusiastically serving the patients.